East Sussex Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (chaired by Conservative Colin Belsey) has endorsed proposals to improve cardiology and ophthalmology services for the people of East Sussex.
The proposals, which came before this month's meeting of the committee, aim to improve the quality of care for all those who need it, cut waiting times, reduce how long people have to stay in hospital, and the number of times they need to visit for appointments or tests. The plans were developed by hospital doctors, GPs and other health professionals.
The proposals had previously been unanimously agreed by the NHS Sussex Integrated Care Board (ICB) at its meeting on 2 November. The endorsement from East Sussex HOSC came at its meeting on 15 December.
Work will now begin to implement the proposed improvements to cardiology and ophthalmology services, which will provide the very best outcomes for local people.
For ophthalmology, care will be improved by consolidating the services currently provided at Eastbourne District General Hospital, Bexhill Hospital and Conquest Hospital into two sites at Eastbourne District General Hospital and Bexhill Hospital. This will enable patients to have quicker access to tests and treatment and more input from the most senior clinicians. It will also enable one-stop clinics, reducing the number of appointments patients need to attend.
For cardiology, care at both the Conquest Hospital, Hastings and Eastbourne District General Hospital (DGH) will be enhanced by creating new cardiac response teams to attend at the front end of the hospitals. This will ensure that people are assessed quicker, when they first come into the emergency departments (EDs) of the hospitals, meaning that emergency patients start receiving specialist care more quickly.
The interventional specialist cardiac services will be sited at Eastbourne DGH. Concentrating the most highly specialised interventional and specialist inpatient cardiology services on one site meets national best practice and will mean the highest standard of care for patients. This will allow our staff to develop greater expertise in new treatments and ensure people are being offered the very best care when they need it. This is only changing for 3% of all cardiac patients seen in East Sussex each year.
The vast majority (97%) of cardiology services will stay the same at both the Conquest, Hastings and Eastbourne DGH. To make sure that the majority of patients receive good quality care close to home outpatients, non-invasive diagnostics, cardiac-monitored beds, cardiac rehabilitation and heart failure services would stay at both hospitals and in the community (where these services are already provided).
These plans are the culmination of a comprehensive programme of work that has considered the best clinical evidence, recommendations from clinical experts and a review and evaluation of feedback from two separate public consultations in which hundreds of people, including service users, carers and their families, as well as a wide range of organisations, took part.
Progress updates and further news on the improvements will continue next year.
